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"I want to commend Governor Sebelius
for her leadership and encourage other states to join us in this
bold step to take control away from powerful pharmaceutical
companies and give it to the hardworking Americans who are unable to
pay for their medicine," Gov. Blagojevich said. "Lifesaving
medications should not be luxury products available only to people
who can afford them. Through I-SaveRx, seniors and others with high
prescription drug costs can now afford the medicine they need. Today
we're extending that opportunity to Kansas' 2.7 million residents."
"We must make health care and
life-sustaining prescription drugs more affordable for seniors and
hardworking Kansans," Gov. Sebelius said. "After carefully reviewing
the I-SaveRx program, I'm convinced it will help tens of thousands
of Kansans safely obtain the medicine they need at prices they can
afford. I'm grateful to Governor Blagojevich for his leadership and
his willingness to allow Kansas to participate in this innovative
partnership."
Kansas is the fourth state to join
the program developed by Illinois and launched in early October.
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle announced that his state would participate
in I-SaveRx when the program began, and less than a month later Gov.
Bob Holden announced Missouri's entrance into the program.
With the addition of Kansas, I-SaveRx
now provides more than 26 million residents in four states with
access to lower-priced prescription drugs through a network of more
than 60 inspected and approved pharmacies and wholesalers in Canada,
the United Kingdom and Ireland. Consumers in Kansas, Missouri,
Wisconsin and Illinois can look up I-SaveRx prices and start the
enrollment process by calling toll-free 1 (866) ISAVE33
[1 (866) 472-8333] or visiting
www.I-SaveRx.net.
Earlier this month, Gov. Sebelius
launched the Healthy Kansas initiative, an innovative program
designed to contain runaway health care costs, streamline the health
care system, and make health insurance and prescription drugs more
affordable for thousands of Kansas' children, working parents, and
small-business owners and employees. Kansas' participation in I-SaveRx
is another illustration of Gov. Sebelius' dedication to the people
of Kansas and her determination to rein in exorbitant health care
spending by citizens and the state alike.
Gov. Blagojevich launched I-SaveRx
on Oct. 4 and extended an invitation to other states to join the
program. Participants in the I-SaveRx plan can save an average of 25
percent to 50 percent on the cost of the most common medications
used to treat chronic conditions. For instance, a three-month supply
of the drug Lipitor in 20 mg doses, which is used to treat high
cholesterol, costs an average of $302 in the United States but is
available through I-SaveRx for $203 from Ireland, $214 from the
United Kingdom and $210 from Canada, plus the $15 per order shipping
charge. A three-month supply of Celebrex in 100 mg doses, used to
treat arthritis pain, costs $160 in the United States but only $80
in Ireland, $78 in the United Kingdom and $72 in Canada, plus
shipping.
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The program connects users to the I-SaveRx
clearinghouse, administered by CanaRx, through the website
www.I-Saverx.net or toll-free
telephone number 1 (866) ISAVE-33 [1 (866) 472-8333].
The clearinghouse provides users with information on the list of
medications included in the program, prices in each of the three
countries, enrollment forms and guidance. Consumers can enjoy
one-stop shopping rather than contacting numerous pharmacies to
gather information and compare prices.
Before ordering, new enrollees must
mail or have their doctor fax a completed health profile form and
signed prescription to the clearinghouse. Once the clearinghouse has
received the prescription and health profile form, it will conduct
an initial scan for appropriateness using the same drug interaction
software used in Illinois pharmacies. If the prescription passes the
interaction test, it will then be turned over to a network physician
in the country from which the medication will be dispensed. The
physician will review and rewrite the prescription for a local
network pharmacy, which will perform a final safety check to comply
with local laws and regulations before dispensing the
medication.
The I-SaveRx import program builds
in numerous safety measures to ensure the quality and safety of
drugs dispensed. The list of available drugs is limited to those
that are used for long periods of time and that cannot spoil during
the shipping process. Consumers can order eligible drugs for refill
only, so patients and their doctors have had time to review for
unanticipated side effects or interactions. All network pharmacies
agree to comply with Illinois pharmaceutical standards and to
dispense only drugs that are intended as domestic product in Canada,
Ireland or the United Kingdom -- meaning the pharmacies cannot
dispense to I-SaveRx consumers prescription drugs from countries
that are not part of the program.
While all residents of Illinois,
Wisconsin, Missouri and Kansas are eligible to enroll in I-SaveRx,
the states are focusing their promotional efforts on reaching people
who do not have prescription drug coverage -- estimated at roughly 6
million individuals in the four states combined. Of that total,
older citizens have the greatest need for relief.
According to the Center for Policy
Alternatives, one out of every five senior citizens takes at least
five prescription medications daily. Last year, the prices of the 30
prescription drugs used most by senior citizens rose more than four
times faster than the rate of inflation, according to Families USA.
Since launching I-SaveRx, Gov.
Blagojevich embarked on an aggressive outreach campaign, visiting
more than a dozen Illinois senior centers and explaining the new
program to seniors. In addition, the departments of Aging and Public
Health are reaching out to seniors and physicians throughout the
state to spread information about the program and enrollment
procedures.
[News release from the
governor's office] |
